Looking At The Future Of Alzheimer’s Disease Policy

It is time to engage public health in aggressive efforts to address Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias (AD/D) without delay. As I noted in Health Affairs in April 2014, numerous U.S. states are already taking some action. Since then an additional 12 states, for a total of 40 states, have developed state plans to address AD/D. Most are already published, with a few in development or being scheduled for updating. Public policy statements at all levels call for coordination of resources, better communication, awareness, and essential linkages. Now to achieve the outcomes envisioned in these plans and policies, further action is urgently required. I concluded the April 2014 paper by calling for a robust effort moving forward, defining effective public policy as “policy that is appropriately scaled to address the issue or problem at hand,” and “seeing our way clear to identify the scale of resources necessary to address Alzheimer’s disease — the public health priority for today and tomorrow.” That robust effort is more critically needed than ever. Burden And Costs Of Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s disease is a terminal degenerative disease that usually begins gradually, causing a person to forget recent events or familiar tasks. Progression varies from person to person, but the brain disease eventually causes confusion, personality and behavior changes, and impaired judgment. Eventually, people with AD/D become unable to care for themselves. There is cu...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Costs and Spending Health Policy Lab Long-term Services and Supports Population Health Public Health Aging Alzheimer's Chronic Condition David Hoffman Dementia Long-Term Care New York Source Type: blogs